


Sedatives Don't Work

by ShadeofGreen



Category: Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Experimental Style, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Beta Read, Sort Of, Supernatural Elements, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 01:57:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15547071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeofGreen/pseuds/ShadeofGreen
Summary: If there’s something wrong with the world, it begs the question what exactly is the wrong.





	Sedatives Don't Work

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for a different fandom, the original fic got put on the back burner then throw out. However, I really wanted to write something with the supernatural elements in the original fic, and Law and Order and SVU won the lottery. I'm not sure if it turn out well, but something turn out. Please excuse any spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, creative liberties, and any continuity/canon errors because there are over hundreds of episodes and I don't remember half of them.
> 
> I'm keeping the characters a mystery because that's half the fun. Also, it's unlikely, but kudos to the person to figure out what was the inspiration for the fic.

_(Worse Than Annoyed)_

Cragen won’t deny he misses Max. They were partners for many years, and Max, in some ways, help him stop being an alcoholic. Cragen could tell Logan misses Max as well. After all, he didn’t exactly fell in love with Phil Cerreta when they first met.

History definitely repeated itself when Briscoe became Mike Logan’s new partner after Phil got shot undercover. The captain could tell it was not love at first sight when the two were back at the precinct. Eventually though, Mike accepted Phil wasn’t going to come back, and made his peace with the new detective.

Now, today begins like any other day. Briscoe and Logan were off visiting the morgue to visit Rodgers. Before they did so, they talked about whatever they have running through their heads regarding the case. As the two detectives walk out of the room, Cragen silently watches them from afar.

He knows he shouldn’t be annoyed by this, but the two detectives were getting along all too well. It only stood out because Cragen could have sworn that weeks before, Mike promised Phil he was going to visit on this date.

~

_(Worse Than Sad)_

Elliot will admit he screwed up. He never got the chance to tell Liv about his retirement. But in all honestly, he was on the fence about until he made up his mind.

Elliot decided to make up for it by calling Liv when he was finally settled. He knows his messages got through because Liv call him back. Liv told him that she’s happy to know his retirement is going okay (alongside being reasonable upset about being kept out of the loop). In fact, they decided they should meet up for coffee to talk.

Liv never came though. She explained she was too busy at work, since the squad a few new people. It makes sense they had to reschedule. With each reschedule though, Olivia came up with less work related excuses.

Eventually, she stops giving him excuses all together. Elliot remembered the day when it happened. It was Eli’s birthday, and he and Kathy wanted Olivia to be there (Eli and Kathy wouldn't be here without her help after all). Olivia told him that she’ll pop by later, but she never did. From that day forward, Olivia and Elliot never contacted each other again.

Elliot forgot the exact number, but it didn’t matter anymore. Seeing his smiling boy made Elliot realize leaving SVU made him a better man. He is less angry, more in control of his emotions. Elliot hasn’t felt like this in who knows how long.

It’s sad to think that SVU changed him for the worse, and how leaving changed him for the better. He can only wonder if the same would be true to the others.

~

_(Worse Than Miserable)_

Casey can pinpoint the exact moment her life became miserable. Well, in the beginning, it was less miserable and more along the lines of ‘life was changed in a strange way’.

That pinpoint moment was when ADA Barba transferred to Manhattan. Casey was only back with her friends and co-workers at SVU for maybe a year after her suspension when he came along to take a case no one wanted to touch. Soon after that, SVU ended up working with Barba more than her and Cabot. For awhile, Casey was fine with it. After all, they could still hang out after work, right?

_Wrong!_ Suddenly, she starts seeing her former friends and co-workers less and less. Casey wasn’t getting any calls from them, and soon, she got nothing. When she ran into them in the courthouse, when they have a few minutes to spare, Casey tried to make small talk with them.

Most of the time, they were too busy to talk to her. The few times they did, whatever plans they made had to be reschedule. Casey was fine with that as well. After all, life sometimes gets in the way of things. Casey had to reschedule dates herself on more than one occasion.

Casey reconsidered it though when a plan with Olivia fall through. Casey barely got a few words out of her mouth when Olivia gave her a puzzling look, with words Casey will never forget:

“I’m sorry, but who are you again?”

With a quick excuse, Casey told Olivia she had mistaken her for someone else. Olivia bought it, and went on her way. It was there did Casey realize her life became miserable.

And Casey wanted to make sure no one was miserable, just like her.

~

_(Worse Than Suffering)_

Alex told herself she handled ADA Barba’s being the go-to lawyer for SVU better than Casey Novak did. That may be in part of Alex moving to Florida (which happened before she began helping abuse women and their children). However, before that new chapter of her life came to be, Alex was still in New York when it happened. Alex was busy with other cases, so naturally, she spent less time friends and co-workers.

Yes, Alex saw them for time to time, but life got in the way. When Alex went to Florida, it was Alex who decided to cut ties, in part for needing relaxation. The only person Alex kept in touch with was Olivia.

Alex wasn’t sure how Casey got a hold of her number (they weren’t exactly close), but the woman told Alex about her disastrous conversation, and told her it should be best to cut all ties with Olivia. Alex barely got a word out before Casey hang up.

She couldn’t believe it. There was no way Olivia would have treated a friend like a stranger. It was just impossible. Alex tried to bring it up to Olivia about a lawyer friend the two shared, but it flew over Olivia’s head.

Alex decided to not bring up the topic again the next time they talk.

Good thing too, since Olivia never call her again and gave her the Casey Novak treated for the next several years. Alex honestly didn’t think they would meet up again, along with another set of farewells.

As they parted ways, Alex felt a heavy burden lifted off her heart. It may because of Alex’s stint in witness protection, but Alex was now absolutely certain she handled the lack of contact with her former friends and co-workers much better than Casey. That’s not to say she wasn’t miserable. On the contrary, Alex was suffering as well. Alex was suffering because she knew Olivia won't remember this for long.

~

_(Worse Than Abandoned)_

Michael frankly isn’t interested in what faults his parents have to excuse his lack of proper upbringing. It was their fault he was riddle with major abandonment issues.

Oh sure, his parents never actually left him. But his father never had the time for Michael, even when it was his turn to keep him. Michael is certain he won’t forgive his old man for it, even when old and on his deathbed.

As to he’ll forgive Jack McCoy is another matter entirely.

Michael won’t deny he used Jack as a surrogate father figure. A good majority of his actions can be easily explained by this. The tie pin he bought on Ebay, the ways he was trying to push for a win in his cases- Michael knew it was the ten-year-old kid inside him, trying to impress his dad. Something that Michael _will_ deny is that the ten-year-old kid inside him was happy when one of his attempts works. Believe it or not, the man enjoyed those small burst of happiness and wanted them to last forever.

Then Jack was no longer DA. With Jack getting demoted back to his old job (no, it’s best not to talk about how that came to be), Michael was reassigned to being Bureau Chief by the new DA. Michael didn’t mind, but it was something he couldn’t imagine doing for long.

When Jack became DA again (and no, it’s best not to talk about how that came to be as well, in part to the events that lead up to it was embarrassing and scandalous), it gave Michael some hope. It had a chance of going either way, but at least if it doesn’t go in Michael’s favor, an excuse could be given. He knows Jack will have one.

So imagine the hurt, anger, and daresay betrayal when Michael saw Jack parading the new EADA. The hurt and anger was obviously, but the betrayal wasn’t.

It was betrayal because when Michael tried to get a word from Jack, the old man had no recollection of Michael as EADA. If anything, he was ‘the Bureau Chief’, and nothing more.

One would say it’s not the same as being abandoned. And they’re right; it’s worse.

~

_(Worse Than Alone)_

Melinda heard the so-call horror stories from Elizabeth Rodgers. Rodgers tells everyone about how the 27th was curse, about how it started when Sergeant Cerreta was replace with Detective Briscoe. Rodgers then explains it wasn’t just the 27th. It was everywhere, and it strikes when one least expected it.

Melinda thought it to be nonsense. Melinda reconsidered it though, when it happened to her.

It made sense though. Rodgers said there’s no set way on how the curse picks its victims. All she knows is that when the victim tries to hang out with a friend, they say, “Oh sorry, I’m too busy. Maybe we can reschedule.”

Then it turns into, “Oh, it was today? It must have slipped my mind!”

Then suddenly, one day, you’re alone. You’re alone in a void, and when you see your friend again, you are a complete stranger to them, and will be a stranger forever more.

Rodger said there are a few lucky bastards, and that their friends will remember you maybe once, before being wiped way again. Sometimes, the lucky bastards can successfully break free from the void. No one knows the exact way, but rumors persisted that one way you can tell if your friends made plans with you and show up.

Melinda’s luck seems to have her stuck in the former.

~

_(Worse Than Exiled)_

George could tell Olivia was angry.

No, scratch that. Olivia wasn’t angry. What was going through the woman was more than anger.

This was years of a well build case going down the drain, and Olivia was blaming him for it. It wasn’t George Huang’s fault that he made Olivia look unprofessional. He had to give out his professional opinion for goodness sake. If he was allowed to give his own personal opinion, George was certain Olivia wouldn’t be acting the way she is now.

Besides, Olivia should have realized he was up for grabs on both sides since his retirement. She really should have kept that in mind. To think that going back to New York for this case would have put him in permanent exiled to his friends and former co-workers.

Knowing Olivia, there was no way she was going to forgive him. George knows how that woman thinks all too well. She was going to bear a grudge until the end of the century.

Still, that didn’t mean George has hope Olivia will come to senses and rethink her grudge.

Nothing in the world will do anything to stop that.

_Right?_

~

_(Worse Than Dead)_

If there’s something wrong with the world, it begs the question what exactly is the wrong. Once long ago, it was bothering Jack to no end.

It all began in a different century. Jack and a few others heard about a silly little curse. It can swallow a person from other people memories, and make them a complete stranger forever more. The reason it’s described as silly? It was because Ben Stone, straight up sober, told them about it. Everyone brushed it off, and they soon forgot about it. Not Jack though. On the contrary, it stuck to him like glue.

Jack thought about it when Ben resigned. He could tell Ben will never get over it. The hurt, the failure… the nagging feeling Ben might have been the next target.

Jack thought about it when he started to remember less of Jamie, Abbie, and Serena (Abbie and Serena’s strong impression weren’t enough, and Jack sees Jamie on non-speaking terms).

Jack thought about it when Anita Van Buren retired from the 27th, to live out the rest of her days with her husband, while forgetting the two detectives, and almost all the others detectives that work there (Briscoe is the sole exception).

Jack thought about it while giving his eulogy at Ben’s funeral, remembering the saint-like man down to a ‘T, and when speaking to Peter.

It was finally made clear not long afterwards what was wrong with the world. Somehow, Jack can remember the dead more than the living. He can remember Claire, Alexander, and Adam, just to name a few. He can remember their likes and dislikes, their habits, good or bad...everything.

But the living? Jack got nothing. No matter how many times he talks to others that do remember them, Jack got nothing. This wasn’t memory loss. This was like something entered his memory, and decided to erase them all to the last detail just for the sake of it.

Knowing how the curse works scares Jack. It scares Jack that the only way to escape the curse is to die. It scares Jack that he could and perhaps did, treated the people he was once close to as complete strangers.

It scares Jack that there was something worse than being dead, and these people were living through it.


End file.
